Cut-out machine



June 5, 1928. 1,672,190

c. c. ABBOTT CUT-OUT MACHINE Filed May 1925 [4/ l EA 717/1 Fatented dune 5, 1928..

} 1,672,190 PATENT OFFICE.

CH RLES C. ABBOTT, or AUBURN,

CORPORATION, or PATERS'ON, NEW

MAINE,

JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ASSIGNOB 330 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY our-our MACHINE.

Application filed May 1 This invention. relates to cutting machines. The invention'is illustrated as embodied in a dieing out machine especially designed for use in cutting the openwork patterns now commonly found in the uppers of womens shoes.

It is sometimes desired to make the socalled cub-outs which provide the openwork patterns above referred to before the uppers are assembled with the shoe-bottomclements. On the other hand, manufacturers frequently prefer to make the cut-outs in the packing room after the shoes have been otherwise substantially completed, this pro.- cedure having the advantage that all the stretch has been taken out of the uppers before the cut-outs are made, thus eliminating any tendency to distortion of the openwork pattern as may occur if the cut-outs are made before the pulling'over and lasting operations. In either case, it is advantageous tomake the cut-outs by the use of cutting dies against which the work is forced by relative movement of the die and a cutting b d or presser member, since such an organizftion may be readily adapted for use upon shoe uppers before the assembling, pulling-over and lasting operations, or upon the uppers of substantially finished shoes. In the use of such a machine, it is important that the cutting die be forced completely through the shoe-upper material without, however, contacting with the presser member or other cutting bed in such fashion as to dull the die or injure the cutting bed.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide an improved machine adapted for making cut-outs in shoe-uppers which will be organized to insure clean cutting by the die without danger of blunting the die or damaging the cutting bed by contact with the cutting bed.

To this end, the invention in one aspect consists in a novel organization comprising a cutting die, a cutting bed such as a presser member, and means for intermittently moving a strip of backing paper across the cutting bed to receive the thrust of the cutting die and thus toprotect the cutting edges of the die, the illustrated machine be: ing organized so that a fresh surface of the backing strip is positioned upon the bed just before each cutting operation of the die. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, the paper strip feeding means are connected 1925. Serial No. 27,303.

to means such as a plunger which effects the relative movement of approachbetween the cutting die and the cutting bed or presser member.

Another feature of the invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement whereby the exact limit of the cutting movement of the die relatively to the cutting bed may be accurately determined.

In another aspect, the invention provides a novel construction and arrangement such as to facilitate presenting the work to the cutting die in any desired position of the work, so that, whatever the shape of the work or the configuration and arrangement of the cut-outs, the work may be readily manipulated to make the desired openwork pattern. 1

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the. head of the machine showing the paper guiding and moving mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined presser member and paper guide.

The present invention is herein illustrated as embodiedin a machine having a frame 10 provided with an overhanging head 12 in which there is slidably supported a plunger 14 which may be operated by means of an elbow lever 16. The other end of this elbow lever engages one or more suitably shaped cams upon a cam shaft 18 which is connected by gears 20 and 22 with the drive shaft 24 carrying a driving pulley 26. These parts of the illustrated machine are constructed and operate like the similar parts of the machine shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,028,567. granted June 4, 1912, on the application of WV. Gordon and L. E. Topham, to which reference may be had for a more complete description of parts of. the machine not fully disclosed herein. As in the machineshown in said Letters Patent. the here. indescribed machine is provided with an arrangement by means of which a single depression of a foot pedal 28 causes a single revolution of the cam shaft and a single reciprocation of the plunger 14. Carried at the lower bifurcated end of the plunger 14 is a member 30, to which is secured the shank 32 of a cutting bed or presserniember 34, which may, if'desired, be provided with a brass face-plate 36. The member 34 also carries a guide-plate 38, slotted at its ends so that a strip of paper 40 may be threaded through the slots of the plate 38 and guided from the side at which it enters across the face of the presser member thereby to control its position, and again guided by the slot at the leaving side. As illustrated, the member 30 comprises a rotatable turret having a plurality of sockets, but 1t Wlll be understood that a member having only a single socket may be used.

The mechanism for supplying and intermittently moving a stripof paper 40 through the slots of the guide-plate 38 is best shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be seen that laterally extending brackets 42 and 44 are secured to the head 12 of the machine. In the bracket 42 is pivotally supported a supply reel 46, and a brake, in the form of a flexible strap 48 carrying a weight 50, 1s provided to prevent too free rotation of the supply reel. In the other bracket 44 there is pivotally mounted a take-up reel 52 to which is secured a ratchet 54. A pawl-earrying arm 56 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft of the take-up reel and is rovided with a pawl 58 arranged to impart lntermittent rotation to the take-up reel as the pawlcarrying arm. is oscillated. A retalning pawl 60 for the ratchet is mounted in any suitable fashion such as in the bracket 44. The pawl-carrying arm 56 is slotted at its rear end to receive a pivot by means of which the arm 56 is connected to a link 62 which is pivotally connected in turn at the point 64' to a part of the plunger 14. The slot in the arm 56 allows adjustment of the pivot connecting said arm to the link 62 thereby allowing control of the extent of movement of the paper strip in accordance with the design of the cutting die so as always to present fresh surfaces to the various cutting edges of said die.

By means of this arrangement the strip of paper 40 which is guided across the face of the presser member 34 is intermittently movedalong step by step during the downward movement of the presser member, a

fresh portion of the strip being always presented to the edges of the cutting die 71 just as the presser member approaches the dies y connecting .the operating mechanism directly to the reciprocating plungera simple and efficient construction is provided for moving the strip along in timed relation to the operation of the presser member.

The cutting die 71 is formed with upstanding blades secured to the usual die block and is provided with a depressible stripper plate 72 for removing the work after the cutting operation and with one or more gage pins 74 by means of which the operator is secured in a plate 80 which, in turn, is held in position by means of pins 82 and 84 at the upper end of a post 86. This post 86 is slidably mounted in a bracket 88 attached to the frame 10 of the machine and a guide pin 90 is provided to prevent rotation of the post 86 with respect to the machine.

In order that the approach of the presser member and of the cuttingedges of the die may be accurately determined so that the cutting edges will cut into the paper strip without going completely through it, I have provided mechanism for vertically adjusting the die support-ing means by adjusting the post 86. To this end a screw 92 provided with a hand-wheel 94 is threaded in a plate 96 which is secured by means of bolts 98 to the bracket 88. This allows a simple and relatively fine adjustment of the vertical height of the post 86 and hence of the cutting edges of the die 71.

In the operation of the machine a piece of work is placed in position over the stripper plate 72 of the cutting die by bringing one edge of the work in engagement with the gage pins 74 so as to locate the. cut-out portions with respect to the finished work. The machine is then set in mot-ion by the depression of the pedal 28', whereupon the presser member 34 moves downwardly first causing a fresh portion of the strip of paper to be brought into position and then forcing the work against the cutting edges of the die 71 which pass completely through the work into the strip of paper.

In certain classes of work similar perforations or cut-outs are made in either side of,

the shoe upper with the difference that the pattern is reversed so that a. symmetrical appearance is provided. In using the machine of my invention for such work, ample clearance is provided so that the operator is enabled, because of the shape of the cut-out die block 70 and its remote position relatlvely to the presser member and its supporting column. to present the work so as to punch one side of the work from the outside in and the other side from, the inside toward the outside, thus using this same die block to give a reversed pattern upon the opposite sides of theforepart of the shoe, usually in the vamp.

In using some dies, the gage pins may, for convenience, be so disposed that they come at the rear of the die and then the work will begmesented from the front of the die block an passed across the die into engagement with said pins. In. the use of other dies,

the gage pins will conveniently be near the front of the die and the work will be moved acrossthe die from the rear toward the front, until the gaging edge contacts with the gage pins. The shape and position of variety of work.

-Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a support, a 'cutting die carried by the support, a reciprocable presser member, means for reciprocating said presser member to force the die through an interposed iece of.

work, a'strip of paper interposed etween the presser member and the work' to receive the cutting edges of the die, means for moving the strip of paper step by step across the die, and a guide upon the entering side of said presser member to engage the lateral edges of and to control the position of the strip of paperas it is passed across the presser member.

2. In a machine of the character described, a support, a cutting die with upstanding edges carried by the support, a presser member above the support; means for causing relative movement of said die and presser member to force the die through an interposed piece of work, a strip of paper interposed etween the presser member and the work to receive the cutting edges of the die,-

and a guide plate supported upon said presser member having a pluralityof slots.

through which the paper may be threaded and guided across the face of the presser member.

3. In a machine of the character described, a support, a cutting die on said support, a plunger, a presser member carried by said plunger, means for'opera'ting the plunger to force a piece of work interposed bet-ween the presser member and the die against the die,

a strip of paper interposed between the presser member and the work to receive the cutting edges of thedie, and means for feeding the paperstrip step by step across the die having a link connection to the plunger and constructed and arranged to be actuated in timed relation to the die cutting 0 oration by downward movement of the plunger.

4. In a machine of the character described, a frame provided with an overhanging head, a work support .on said frame beneath the end of the ove'rhangin head, a plunger supported in said hea for up-and-down movement, a presser member carried by said plunger, means for moving said plunger up and down, laterally extendin brackets on said head, paper reels rotata ly supported in said brackets, means for guiding a strip of paper from. one of the reels across the presser member to the other reel, and means directl connected to said plunger and arranged intermittentl reels to move the s rip of paper intermittently across the face of the presser member.

5. In a machine ofthe character described, a frame having .an overhanging head, a

lunger carried on said head, means for moving said plunger up and down, a presser member carried on said plunger, aper supply and take-up reels supported head, means for guiding a strip of paper carried by said reels across the face of the presser member, means for intermittently moving said strip of paper across the face of the presser member as the lunger is depressed, a support, a cutting ie carried on on said said support in line with the path of move- .ment of the presser member, and means for adjusting the vertical position of the support to determine the relative approach of the cutting edges of the die and the strip of paper passing over the face. of the presser member.

6. In a machine of the character-described,

' a frame provided with an overhanging head,

a plunger guided for substantially vertical movement in said head, a presser member on upon said-frame for said support arranged to allow adjustment thereof in 'alinement with the plunger, means for adjusting the support toward and away from the presser member, and a die on said support.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT. 

